Beaches, Sun and Sand

This weekend was really fun. It started on Thursday when a friend of ours showed up at games night. He's here visiting for a couple days from New Zealand. Him and his wife are the ones that I'm going be visiting and traveling with in October.

At the end of games he suggested that we all get together on Friday at our place. So we had a bunch of the gamers and jugglers over on Friday night (Yar was there too). The gathering lasted until a little before 3 am and it was fun. I won this new version of Settlers of Cataan called Cities and Knights. (I love this game, so much more than the unexpanded Settlers game which isn't very dynamic. If you place wrong at the start of the game it's almost impossible to win.)

On Saturday, I went into the city with a friend and her two little girls and had brunch at this great restaurant that's owned by her husband. (I can't tell you how exciting it is to watch a friend of mine have success in a business venture like this. It's so impressive!) I always enjoy spending time with her (and him too), though I have to admit that sometimes hanging out with two one year olds can be a little much. (Which is more evidence to me that I shouldn't have kids now.) I'm always excited to see them and watch them grow. I have some other friends that I need to start hanging out with more, because I don't get to see them enough.

After brunch I met some folks in the park, including my honey pot. There was sun, juggling and reading. I'm getting to a point where I can actually juggle and pass clubs. This weekend I did four passes, which is pretty darn good. I'd be so much better if I practiced every week, but I haven't been.

Following the park I walked up Telegraph Ave and ended up in one of my favorite Indian restaurants for dinner. I pulled out my book and had a lovely time reading and people watching. I was really tired when I got home an I took a several hour nap. Delicious. Then I called my sis and caught up a bit.

Today we got up and tried a new (to us) breakfast spot in Piedmont. It was pretty good, and the best part is that it wasn't even half full at any point when we were there. It's the new secret breakfast spot. Yeah! And we could walk there next time because it's not that far away.

After breakfast we headed to our friend's gathering on the beach south of Pacifica. We hung out and played frisbee, drank beer, and were amazed at how cold the ocean was. As Sarah said "it's cold enough to give you an ice cream headache on your feet." Yes, that's California ocean water. Well, northern california ocean water. While I was there I had the unique opportunity to pop a squat near what I noticed later to be a decaying seal carcass. Lucky me, I didn't even smell it. It wasn't until I brought some other carcass curious folks there that I caught a wiff of it at it's strongest. Wowzers. It was a nice day hanging out and some interesting adventures.

Our friends who had the gathering (because he's having is bday today) just got married about a month ago. And they just bought a house in Potrero Hill. They're planning on gutting the entire thing themselves. I think they're crazy, but I'm happy to help. My honey pot and I put in an offer on a place like that in San Francisco. That house needed to be torn down to it's frame and reworked from there up. I have to say that I'm so glad we didn't get that house. I'm not sure we would have made it through that process. And I'm a little scared for the amount of work that sits in front of our friends now.

And the last thing I did was cold chill at home before I had to go to bed and start the week over again. It's really important to me to have this 'down' time before my week starts. Some people recharge by hanging out with others, while I recharge by being alone. I'm more relaxed and content when I have my laundry done and some lunch set up before I go to bed. And this event packed weekend I even got that! Sweet!